Kmart
by alimination602
Summary: After saving Clair Redfields convoy Alice awakens in a strange new place.


Chapter 1- Kmart

Alice's head throbbed dully with distant pain. She thrashed violently in her sleep, her arms flailing wildly as if fighting back a physical manifestation of her very fears. She tentatively opened her eyes, her vision swirled as her eyes opened for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

Alice's gaze passed over her wrist, she noticed a small dark wristband woven from string or wire wrapped lightly around her wrist. Alice gaze moved past her wrist, her eyes passing over her new surroundings, her attuned senses drinking in every detail- dark, dank, run down. A metaphor for the current state of the world- at least it was somewhere she recognized.

Alice's vision suddenly cleared, centring on the only other occupant of the room. It was a girl- sixteen, eighteen years old. She had long dirty blonde hair cascading down her back and wore a dark, sun baked leather jacket and skirt. Amazingly even though the human race was facing what most were now calling 'The apocalypse' it seemed this girl was determined to continue applying layers of eye liner. The why eluded Alice completely. "Hey" Whoever this girl was, she had a very sweet voice. Alice rose herself onto her elbow, indicating the wrist band wove around her arm with the raise of her other arm.

"Hi" Alice spoke, her voice flat and laboured. Alice indicated the wristband "This belong to you?"

The girl smiled. "Gave it to you last night" She lowered her head, embarrassed. "For luck" In the time of the apocalypse many people were known to turn to things such as luck and religion to help keep them going in these trying times, as if simply believing in it would keep the zombies at bay. Everyone has their things they believe in too keep them going, some turned to religion, others to the hope of a cure. And others just relied on the fact they were one of the lucky ones that had made it this far. "Thank you" Alice replied. "What's you're name?" Her answer surprised Alice.

"Kmart" Not what she was expecting.

'Kmart' obviously saw that Alice required an explanation. "That's where they found me, Claire and the others, few years back" Everybody had a disaster story in this age, yet more gracious thanks to the Umbrella Corporation.

"You got another name?" She stared down into the dusty floor.

"Never liked it. Everyone I knew was dead seemed like time for a change" Alice felt her pain; she could literally taste the sadness in this girl. Eighteen, just eighteen years old! Yet another victim of Umbrella's rampant greed.

"How'd you end up being my watchman? Ordered into submission?" Alice tried to change the subject, anything but reopening the wounds of this girl's shattered past. Kmart shook her head.

"No, I volunteered. Everyone else was apprehensive about watching you. Except me, to tell you the truth I was… kinda curious" Now she felt it unmistakeably, with her enhanced senses now fully recovered she was drowning in the radiated despair. She knew she had to do something. But there was nothing more she could do, she felt worthless, pointless. Then it dawned on her, there was still one thing she could do to help this girl.

She sat up straighter, extending her arms towards her. "Come here" Kmart was a little wary at first, but seeing the sincerity in her eyes she collapsed into Alice's open arms.

Laying her head down on Alice's shoulder, she began to sob. Pent up tears of rage, fear and regret started to spill forth. Alice knew that Kmart was the kind of girl who strived to push herself further, too keep the others going. After the rest of her family was killed she had to look after herself, any doubt or fear was suppressed, never to surface itself again, it only slowed you down, made you venerable in a time when letting your guard down for even a moment was a death sentence. But being in the comforting arms of this woman she had only met this morning, Kmart felt the walls she had erected to house her emotions collapse. Alice was just the kind of person she responded to, the kind of person she could rely upon for support in these trying times. "It's just not fair" She cried onto Alice's shoulder

"I know" Alice cooed.

She rubbed her hand across the girls back, acting as a sort of mother figure for her in her time of need, the person who would listen to her feelings, and offer her shoulder to cry on. "It's just not fair, how can Umbrella be allowed to get away with this" She spoke through shattering tears. "They took my home, my parents. My sister, everything"

"Shooosh" Alice bounced her lightly, attempting to recreate the effect her mother had used on her as a child. The kind of thing where you could just feel your sadness drain away in her radiated warmth.

Kmart raised her head from Alice's shoulder, her tear filled eyes shining by the bright desert light that shone through the open cracks in the walls. "I know how I can help you"

Kmart's eyes seemed to respond to that, a little flicker that said that this is the thing she had prayed for. Alice leaned in closer towards her shorter companion. "Close your eyes" Alice spoke with the same cool, soothing, motherly tone. She leaned in towards Kmart's ear "I'm going to make you feel as though nothing else in the world matters"


End file.
